North East Beds MP furious about London Luton Airport consultation and calls on Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to stop it

Arrival routes set to change for Luton Airport

The airport currently shares arrival routes and two holds with Stansted Airport and the consultation is seeking views on separating LLA’s arrivals flight paths from Stansted’s and establishing a new hold for LLA.

MP Richard Fuller is concerned that expansion will be for the benefit of Luton Council but the additional costs - financial, congestion and pollution - will be felt more widely.

In his letter he states: “The consultation offers two options from flight paths from the east and two options from the west, however, it offers no option to object to any changes to the existing flight paths.

MP Richard Fuller is concerned about flight path changes

“All of the options, if enacted, would result in planes being stacked just 8,000ft over St Neots while they queue to land, before travelling down to Luton over multiple towns in my constituency, such as Sandy, Potton, Biggleswade and Arlesey.”

Mr Fuller has requested that Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps stops the consultation and acts to ensure that local councils and councillors have more opportunity to provide recommendations. He has also asked for an investigation into the potential for changes in the ownership of London Luton Airport Limited.

In defence of the consultation LLA has stated the proposed change is necessary to assure safety and reduce delays. A spokesperson said: “We recognise, however, that any changes to flight paths can have different outcomes for different communities, so we welcome all feedback to help shape the final solution.

“Prior to public consultation, local representatives from Central Bedfordshire Council, Bedfordshire Association of Town and Parish Councils and other local interest groups have been actively engaged in our development of the proposals over the past 18 months, which is a requirement of the airspace change process.

“We are closely following government guidelines on public consultation and accepted best practice, with scrutiny and review at every stage by our independent regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority.”

Full details of the consultation process can be found at www.london-luton.co.uk/ad6

Are you concerned about the flight path proposals too? Email your views to [email protected]